Six Grammy wins and a reputation as one of bluegrass’s most formidable guitarists couldn’t contain Molly Tuttle, as she steps into a brighter, freer realm
Molly Tuttle has long stood alongside bluegrass’s finest-an award‑winning flatpicker, songwriter, and singer who shattered glass ceilings as IBMA’s first female Guitar Player of the Year and a two‑time Grammy winner.
Rooted in California, raised on the guitar by her multi‑instrumentalist father, she moved to Nashville to carve her own legacy.
Her latest album, So Long Little Miss Sunshine, released in August 2025, marks a clear pivot-into folk‑pop, country, and rock, while still honouring her roots. Produced by Jay Joyce, it blends soaring acoustic guitar with bold production choices, and includes a captivating banjo‑topped rendition of “I Love It.”
The album also reflects Tuttle’s growing willingness to incorporate humour, irony, and storytelling with looser boundaries, something she has cited as a personal goal since her earlier albums. Critics have noted that Sunshine moves with a cinematic quality, each track styled with a tone or colour that plays into her evolving self-image.
An emotional shift
Tuttle has spoken candidly about the emotional shift in this album, saying it was about bidding farewell to a version of herself that had long tried to blend in. That declaration captures the record’s heart, a reckoning with identity, memory, and creative direction.
The title track, “So Long Little Miss Sunshine,” plays like a farewell letter to a former persona. Tuttle’s vocal delivery is restrained but purposeful, using gentle lyrical subversion and folk-rooted cadence to guide the listener through grief and growth. It’s a track that lingers, more epilogue than anthem.
Beyond Golden Highway
Before Sunshine, Tuttle fronted Golden Highway, her band with whom she released two consecutive Grammy‑winning albums (Crooked Tree and City of Gold). But in May 2025, she announced that Golden Highway would step back, freeing space for a new ensemble designed to suit this album’s evolving sound.
That shift wasn’t easy: Golden Highway had been more than a band-it was a family, musical collaborators, and the backbone of her sound. The transformation speaks to Tuttle’s resolve to grow, even when that means relinquishing comfort zones.
On the creative front, Molly describes experiencing a spark between her roots and newer influences, writing songs that straddled two worlds. She began with tracks that felt more contemporary and personal, then found her bluegrass senses reawakening mid‑project. She chose to record with Jay Joyce in Nashville, drawn to his ability to blend textures across genres.
The album cover, designed by Tuttle herself, captures that tension visually, featuring multiple versions of Molly wearing different wigs. It’s a playful emblem of shedding expectations and embracing the many shades of identity. In a recent media profile, she explained feeling grateful for where she is now, even if the path wasn’t always straightforward…
